With the development of modem industry, especially the rapid development of petroleum chemical engineering, many synthetic resins and plastic articles with good properties and low costs have been provided for industrial and agricultural production. The use of plastic film, foamed plastic articles (for example, package materials, etc) and plastic sheets in many fields has greatly promoted industrial and agricultural production and has enriched people's daily lives. However, after use, this plastic waste is usually abandoned and discarded on the ground, in rivers, in mountains, in the streets and in parks. This seriously pollutes the environment, producing one of the most harmful types of environmental pollution: “white pollution.” In recent years, many countries have made laws to restrict the use of plastic films and foamed plastics in order to reduce “white pollution.” In addition, great efforts have been made to develop various kinds of degradable resins and plastic articles.
With today's fast-paced lifestyle, many people favor the convenience of snack foods more and more. These snack foods require a lot of tableware and drink containers, which, in the past, have been made of foamed plastics that are harmful to human body and the environment at high temperatures. These foamed plastics are now prohibited, and people have tried producing tableware and drink containers using other, less harmful materials. People have tried producing paper tableware and paper drink containers as an alternative to foamed plastics, but these paper containers have complex production procedures and high costs. People have also tried to use plastics material and modified starch (instead of foamed plastic) to produce the tableware and drink containers for snack foods, but the plastics material and modified starch have low biodegradability, high costs and possible secondary pollution.
Similarly, plastic films, foamed plastic articles (for example, package materials, etc) and plastic sheets (extruded sheet products) have the same problems as the tableware and drink containers made from paper and plastics material and modified starch.